Enforce fire regulations, inspect forest for fire hazards, and recommend forest fire prevention or control measures. May report forest fires and weather conditions.
National median · BLS
$56,870
▲ +8.57%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$66,640
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
2,780
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.
Pay range for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$35,420
25th
$43,760
Median (50th)
$56,870
75th
$81,500
90th — top pay
$105,460
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
BLS projects employment of forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists to grow 13.1% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
3,000 → 3,400
+400 jobs
Projected change
+13.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Critical Thinking4.0
Coordination3.8
Speaking3.8
Active Listening3.6
Judgment and Decision Making3.6
Complex Problem Solving3.5
Monitoring3.4
Instructing3.3
Learning Strategies3.1
Management of Personnel Resources3.1
Top knowledge areas
Administration and Management4.0
Customer and Personal Service3.8
Education and Training3.7
Personnel and Human Resources3.7
Public Safety and Security3.7
Law and Government3.5
Computers and Electronics3.5
English Language3.5
Software and technology used
Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormationAmazon Web Services AWS softwareAnsible softwareDockerFacebookGitKubernetesLinuxMicrosoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft Azure softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft PowerShellMicrosoft SharePointMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft Windows
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists do
Relay messages about emergencies, accidents, locations of crew and personnel, and fire hazard conditions.
Conduct wildland firefighting training.
Estimate sizes and characteristics of fires, and report findings to base camps by radio or telephone.
Direct crews working on firelines during forest fires.
Locate forest fires on area maps, using azimuth sighters and known landmarks.
Extinguish smaller fires with portable extinguishers, shovels, and axes.
Patrol assigned areas, looking for forest fires, hazardous conditions, and weather phenomena.
Compile and report meteorological data, such as temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and velocity, and types of cloud formations.
District RangerEnvironmental Protection Fire Control OfficerFire Management TechnicianFire ObserverFire Range TechnicianFire RangerFire Tower KeeperFire WardenFire WatcherForest Fire Control OfficerForest Fire OfficerLook Out Tower Fire WatcherRange ExaminerTower WatchmanTowermanWildland Fire Operations SpecialistWildland Firefighter
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $56,870.
